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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23508853">Sioux Falls Adventure</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/deanieweaniewrites/pseuds/deanieweaniewrites'>deanieweaniewrites</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Hold Me Tighter [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supernatural</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 12:27:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,980</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23508853</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/deanieweaniewrites/pseuds/deanieweaniewrites</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After meeting Castiel's family, Dean is eager to introduce him to his own family.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Castiel/Dean Winchester</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Hold Me Tighter [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1264196</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>70</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Sioux Falls Adventure</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Welcome to the second biweekly update! I know this is another plot heavy part, but the series kind of needs it We'll be back to our regularly scheduled porn soon, friends. </p>
<p>That being said, I need your help. I have this series all plotted out, but individual scenes aren't outlined. If I'm going to update every other week, I'll need some inspiration. So, this series is officially open for kink/scene requests! Leave your requests in the comments, or message me on <a href="https://deanieweaniewrites.tumblr.com"> tumblr </a>! I'm not super active on tumblr anymore, but I will receive your message/ask there and I'll do my best to write it! If there's anything you'd like to see with this series, don't hesitate to tell me! There's not a lot I won't write, so just let me know! I can't wait to hear from you all, and I hope you enjoy this installment!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Dean and Castiel’s six month anniversary came faster than both of them expected. Time seemed to fly while they were together. The anniversary fell on a Tuesday, so both of them spent their days at class and work. Finals were next week, and they were a little overloaded with studying. That evening, they were too tired to cook, so they ordered in food from a local restaurant and ate together on the couch. It wasn’t anything special, but they enjoyed it nonetheless.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Once finals were over, they started thinking about how they wanted to spend the summer. Dean had work, and Castiel had two online classes to work on. Other than that, they had plenty of free time to hang out and experiment even more with BDSM.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean had been thinking a lot about visiting Castiel’s family. It was really nice to meet all of them, and it made him feel really good about the relationship. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean was planning a trip to Sioux Falls for Sam’s birthday, which was in a few days. Dean couldn’t believe that Sam was turning eighteen. They didn’t have a very large age gap, only three years, but Dean still saw Sam as a little kid sometimes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Thinking about the trip and about meeting Castiel’s family, Dean made the final decision to invite Castiel to Sioux Falls. The idea was nerve-wracking at first. He’d never had a relationship that was serious enough for this. He loved Castiel, and he was ready. There was just one problem: he wasn’t out to Sam or Bobby. He hadn’t mentioned the relationship at all to them. It felt like a weird thing to reveal over the phone rather than in person. It was a scary thought, but Dean knew it was what he wanted. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel had gone out for an evening run. Dean was cooking dinner while he waited for his boyfriend to return. He hadn’t mentioned the trip yet, but he was planning to as soon as Castiel got back. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A few minutes passed, and then the door opened. Castiel walked in, breathing heavily. He wiped sweat from his brow and walked over to the kitchen. “Dinner smells good.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean hummed. “You don’t smell so good.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel elbowed Dean in the arm. “It’s hot as hell out there.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean kissed Castiel’s cheek. “It’s okay. You’re sexy when you’re all sweaty.” He hummed. “I had a question.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh? What is it?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Sam’s birthday is in a couple days. I’m driving to Sioux Falls, and I was wondering if you’d want to come with me. It’s just Sam and Bobby, but they’re my family, and I’d like for you to meet them.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel smiled warmly. “I’d love to meet them. I’ll do my best to make a good first impression.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean chuckled. “You’re too damn polite to make a bad impression.” He paused for a moment. “There’s just...one other thing.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hm?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I...haven’t actually come out to them. They don’t know that we’re dating. I should have told them a long time ago but-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t have to come out to anyone until you’re 100% ready. You don’t owe that to anyone. I’m not upset. Everyone comes out in their own time. I’m really proud of you for wanting to take me to meet them.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean blushed a bit. “Thanks. I know I’m ready. I’ve wanted to tell them for a while, it just didn’t feel like the right time, I guess.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s okay. I think now is a pretty good time. You should let them know that I’m coming. I’d hate to intrude.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean shook his head. “You won’t intrude. It won’t matter, we’re sleeping in the same bed anyways. Trust me, it’ll be okay.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel seemed a little apprehensive, but he nodded. “Okay, I’ll trust you. You sure they won’t mind me coming?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sure. Once they know why you’re there, they’ll be totally fine with it.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean finished making dinner, and the pair sat down at the table to eat. Once they were finished, they washed dishes together, bumping each other with their hips. Castiel retreated upstairs to shower while Dean put on a movie. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Once Castiel was clean, he returned downstairs and held Dean in his lap while they watched the movie. There was a short make-out session before bed, and both of them slept peacefully.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>~~~</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A few days later, it was time to leave for Sioux Falls. They packed up a few days worth of clothes and loaded everything into Baby for the trip. Castiel seemed unsure about driving the whole way, but Dean assured him that it was fine. The trip was a little under six hours, something Dean was used to. Castiel would rather fly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The drive started early in the morning with coffee and bagels. Castiel was antsy at first, but then he was falling asleep in the passenger seat. Dean let him sleep for the first few hours, but woke him up when it was close to lunchtime. They went through a drive-thru and got burgers for the road. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel had perked up a little more once he ate, and managed to stay awake for the remainder of the drive. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean pulled into the long driveway of Bobby’s house, and the jitters really got going. He started feeling a little unsure about all of this. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you doing okay?” It was just like Castiel to be able to read Dean like an open book.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, just nervous.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel took Dean’s hand and squeezed it. “I’ll be here the whole time. You’ve got this.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean smiled sheepishly and got out of the car. He walked around to the back of the car and popped the trunk, pulling out both of their bags. He handed Castiel’s bag to him before closing the trunk. Castiel followed Dean to the front door, staying slightly behind him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean took a deep breath and knocked on the front door, waiting for an answer. Instead of someone answering the door, he heard Bobby’s gruff voice. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s open!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean opened the front door and stepped inside. “Bobby? Sam?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Bobby came around the corner, pausing in surprise when he saw more than one person. “Hey, Dean. You bring a friend?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean nodded, his nerves rising even higher. “Yeah, this is my roommate, Cas.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel smiled politely. “It’s good to meet you, sir.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Bobby chuckled a bit. “No need for that, son. You can just call me Bobby.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean looked around. “Where’s Sam?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I bet if you shouted for him he’d be down here in a flash.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean took Bobby’s advice. “Sammy!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A door opened and closed somewhere in the house, and footsteps came running. Sam came around the corner, grinning once he saw Dean. “Finally, man. It’s been ages.” He walked over and pulled Dean into a hug, squeezing him tightly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean hugged his brother back, patting him on the back as he let go. “Good to see you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam nodded. “Good to see you too.” He looked over at Castiel. “Are you Dean’s roommate?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel nodded. “I am. It’s good to meet you, Sam.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Nice to meet you too.” Sam had a confused expression on his face, but he was too polite to say anything yet.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean shifted, looking at Sam and Bobby again. There was a brief, uncomfortable silence where everyone just stared at each other. Dean took a deep breath and then grabbed Castiel’s hand. “Cas is my boyfriend.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The silence returned. Castiel held Dean’s hand, Bobby raised his eyebrows, and Sam’s jaw dropped. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, really? For how long?” Sam asked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We just had our six month anniversary.” Dean’s head was hung a little.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Bobby nodded. “Well good for y’all. The way you talked about him, I’m surprised this didn’t happen sooner.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean’s face flushed scarlet, and Castiel smiled a bit. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam was immensely curious now. “Why didn’t you tell us sooner? It’s not like we would have been upset.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean tried to think of an answer, but he didn’t have the mental energy to explain it. “Cas can probably give a better answer than me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel took on the task with ease. “Coming out is hard, even if you know deep down that who you’re coming out to will be accepting. It’s an integral part of yourself, and sometimes there’s a lot of difficulty in accepting yourself. If you don’t accept yourself for it, it’s really hard to believe that other people will. Because of all of that, people come out at different speeds. It’s also just personal information, so you have every right to keep it to yourself for as long as you want.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A look of understanding spread over Sam’s face. “Oh, that makes sense. So, you guys have been together for a while?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean nodded, giving Castiel an appreciative smile before looking back at Sam. “Yeah. It’s gone well, obviously, otherwise I wouldn’t have brought him.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Bobby stuck his hands in his pockets and nodded. “Well, if y’all need me, I’ll be out in the scrapyard. Good to meet you, Cas.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Once Bobby was gone, Sam started talking again. “So you’re pre-med, right? Do you have any specific field you want to go into? Any plans for med school?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel was about to answer, but Dean interjected. “Why don’t you let us get our stuff to my room, and then you can interrogate Cas all you want?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Right, okay.” Sam moved to the side, pushing his bangs out of his eyes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean led Castiel to his room and set his bag down. He let out a long breath. “That went really well.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel kissed Dean’s cheek. “It did. I’m really proud of you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean blushed and leaned on Castiel’s shoulder for a moment. “Sam will ask you a hundred questions. You can tell him to shut up.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay, I don’t mind. Gabriel interrogated you in Denver, so we can call this payback.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean chuckled. “Alright.” He led Castiel back out to the living room and sat down on the couch. Sam was waiting for them in one of the chairs. He was on the edge of his seat, perched eagerly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel sat down next to Dean and turned his attention to Sam. “To answer your questions, yes I’m pre-med. I don’t know what field I want to go into yet, but surgery has always seemed like something I’d enjoy. I have a few schools in mind for med school.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah? Like what?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel was quiet for a few seconds. Dean noticed the slight tension in him. “I have a few in mind. I’m planning on applying to Stanford, University of California, and John Hopkins. I’ll apply to my current school’s med school as well, as a backup.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean’s eyes widened slightly. He had no idea that Castiel was considering schools far away from where they were. He always thought he’d go to KU med school. It was a good school, but clearly Castiel had his sights set way higher than that. Oh well, that was a year away, who knew where they’d be in their relationship by then? Besides, if Castiel went to Stanford and Dean moved with him, he’d get to live in the same city as Sam again. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow. You must be a really good student.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel gave a small shrug. “I try.” He turned the attention back onto Sam. “So, you want to go into law, right?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam nodded. “Yeah, I’m a political science and english double major. I thought about adding a minor, but I think I’ll see what the workload is like for the first year and decide then.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s smart. A lot of people start off with too much, thinking it won’t be hard, and then they have to drop something. I think the double major will be enough to keep you very busy, and you picked good ones for pre law.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam smiled a bit. “That’s good to hear.” He looked at both Dean and Castiel. “So, how did this start? You guys have lived together for several years now.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean chuckled a bit. Everyone seemed to ask that question. “We just admitted our feelings about each other one day and started dating.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, so you just...randomly told Cas that you liked him?” Sam seemed skeptical.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I admitted it first.” Castiel swooped in to save Dean. “I knew how I felt for a long time, and I decided to finally confess.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam accepted that answer. “Ah. Alright.” His attention moved back to Castiel. “I’ve heard a lot about you from Dean, but I feel like I should know you better now. What’s your family like? Do you have any siblings?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel nodded. “I have eight siblings. Most of my family lives in Denver.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam’s jaw dropped a little. “Eight siblings?! You must have been really cramped as kids. I thought it was bad with one brother.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean chuckled. “I don’t think it was too bad. I met them recently and that house was massive.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel shrugged. “It still felt cramped at times. I have an identical twin that’s way more social than me, and he spent a lot of time all over me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam raised a brow. “You drove from Lawrence to Denver? How long is that drive?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel shook his head. “Oh, we didn’t drive. We flew.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You got Dean on a plane?!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean nodded. “Wasn’t too bad. It was a private jet.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam’s eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head. “How loaded are you?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel held his composure. “My mother is the CEO of Novak Airlines, if that helps to visualize it at all.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait, so you’re a Novak like the airline? Oh my god...Why didn’t I know that?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“To be fair, I didn’t know either until we started dating.” Dean took Castiel’s hand. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t talk very openly about it. It makes some people uncomfortable to know where I come from.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam took a moment to process that before frowning a bit. “I’m not making you uncomfortable, am I?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh no, not at all. I don’t mind answering questions.” Castiel smiled a bit. “I know it all sounds crazy, but I promise I’m not. My family is shockingly sane compared to others in our socioeconomic bracket. I have many stories about spoiled kids with rich parents at fancy events. My mother always kept us in line.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam chuckled. “I’d like to hear some of those sometime. That sounds entertaining.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel nodded. “I once witnessed a small child cry because they weren’t allowed to drink out of a chocolate fountain at a Christmas party.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam laughed. “That child would have been Dean.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean pouted. “No it wouldn’t. It would have been you crying over a fruit or something.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“At least I actually wanted to eat fruit as a kid.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean rolled his eyes. “What kid wants fruit?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel shrugged. “I liked fruit as a kid. So did most of my siblings. It’s sweet and messy, what’s not to like for a kid? I’ll remember to remind you that you don’t like fruit next time I watch you chow down on blueberries.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam grinned. “Have you been making him eat something other than fast food?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel nodded. “We cook together almost every night. We occasionally order in, but most of the time we put together well-balanced meals.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I like you. You’re a good influence.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean huffed. “His cooking just always smelled good. One day he said that if I helped, he’d make me a serving too. So I started helping and eating with him.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam smiled. “That’s awesome.” He looked at the time and sighed. “As much as I’d like to talk more, my finals are this week, and I really need to work on a paper.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel nodded. “It was nice talking to you, Sam.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You too, Cas.” Sam got up and retreated to his room, leaving Dean and Castiel alone. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean got an idea and looked at Castiel with a grin. “There’s a lake just down the road. Let’s go swim in it.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel seemed taken aback by that. “We didn’t bring any swim trunks…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We can just swim in our boxers. I’ll wash them. C’mon, it’ll be fun.” Dean stood up, holding Castiel’s hand and pulling him along. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The walk down to the lake was pretty. It was down the street and off the road by about a hundred yards. Dean stopped at a picnic table by the water and started undressing. He took off his shoes, socks, shirt, and pants, leaving just his boxers on. Castiel was a little slower at getting undressed, but he did so nonetheless. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean jogged to the edge of the water and started wading in. He got up to waist-high water before he realized that Castiel was still standing at the edge, staring at the water with wide eyes. “Cas?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel swallowed. “I can’t swim.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean froze and stared for a few seconds. “Really? Not at all?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No. I refused to get into the pool as a kid so I never learned. I’m still terrified of water.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean suddenly realized that Cas had been acting anxious since he mentioned the lake. He was just too excited to notice. “It’s okay. We won’t go deep.” Dean walked up to Castiel and held his hands out.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel took Dean’s hands warily. “I might drown you. I could pull you under.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I won’t let that happen.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel looked at the water. “It’s murky, you can’t even see the bottom.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean looked down. “It’s only murky right here because of the mud. It’s pretty clear once we go out a bit.” He felt very insufficient at calming Castiel’s anxiety. “I promise, it’ll be okay. You got me on a plane, so I’ll show you that the water isn’t so bad.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel took a deep breath and nodded. As Dean started backing up into the water, he followed him, taking small steps and watching the water rise around his legs.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“There you go. It’s not so bad.” Dean kept moving back slowly. “Once it gets waist-high, we’ll stop. It drops off and gets really deep after that.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel nodded a bit. He was holding Dean’s hands tightly, forcing his eyes to leave to water and look at Dean. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean stopped once the water was around his middle. “You want to try and float on your back?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel looked at the water. “I don’t know if I could keep my head up.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You can. You’ll float without doing anything.” Dean let go of Castiel’s hands and knelt down in the water. He laid on his back and floated on the surface. “You do have to relax. If you don’t stretch all the way out, you’ll sink. But it’s okay if you do. You can touch the bottom, so just stand up if you need to.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel watched Dean closely. He looked back at the shore before trying to copy him. He knelt down, shuddering a bit at the cold water. He slowly started to lean back, a little unsure of this whole process. He didn’t stretch out before lifting his feet, so his body was still curled up. His face sank under the water and he came up quickly, shaking his head. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean took Castiel’s hands. “Hey, it’s okay. Like I said, you have to relax and just trust that you’ll float. I promise that you will. I can help you this time.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel nodded a bit. “I’m sorry, I’m being ridiculous.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No, it’s a reasonable fear, and you’ve never done this before. I’d be scared too. Try again?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel took a deep breath before starting the process over. This time, Dean’s hands were on Castiel, moving him into position and holding him up. Instead of immediately sinking, Castiel stretched out and started floating on his back. He smiled. “This is nice.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean smiled back. “Isn’t it? Told you it wasn’t so bad.” He pulled his hands out from underneath Cas and stepped back. “This is the best thing to do if you freak out while trying to swim. Just float on your back, catch your breath, and then flip back over to try again.” Dean stepped back until he went off the drop off and started swimming around the open water. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel stood up to watch Dean swim around. He shuffled forwards until he was at the edge of the dropoff. “When did you learn to swim?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I was really little, probably four. I taught Sam to swim when he was eight or so. It was harder for him to learn. It gets harder as you get older, but it’s not impossible. Really, if you stay calm and follow your instincts, you’ll figure it out. You just kick with your legs and do these sweeping motions with your arms.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not sure my swimming will be that calm.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean shrugged. “That’s okay. I think you’ll figure it out. You’re in really good shape, so you should be able to do it pretty easily.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel stared at the edge of the dropoff for a few seconds, like he was considering stepping off. Sure enough, he was. He stepped off the edge and started paddling like his life depended on it. He was splashing a lot, but he wasn’t sinking. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean grinned. “You’ve got the right idea.” He tried not to laugh. It was admittedly a little funny to watch calm and collected Castiel doggy paddle like a toddler. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After about a minute, Castiel’s frantic paddling got a little smoother and stronger. He started to figure out that slow, strong movements were better than quick, weak ones. “I think my mom would freak out if she saw me right now.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Why?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you have any idea how many hours she spent trying to get me into a pool or to even touch the ocean? All it took was you, and now I’m swimming. I’m trying not to think about the nebulous pool below me that could be housing any sort of horrifying beast, but besides that, I’m good.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean chuckled. “You look a little bit like a five year old with water wings on but besides that you’re doing good.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel pouted. “Shut up.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean grinned and swam over to Castiel, kissing his cheek. “I love you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel smiled. “I love you too. Now, where’s the ground?” He swam in a circle before finding the edge of the drop off again and climbing up onto it, standing up to take a break.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean looked around before swimming to the other side of the lake, where there was a very tall rock formation. He had jumped off it hundreds of times in his life, and he had fond memories of pushing Sam off of it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my god, you are not about to jump off of that. Dean! You’re going to give me a heart attack!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve done this a hundred times. I’m fine!” Dean climbed out of the water, and then up the rock formation. He stood at the back, then ran three steps to the edge. He jumped off and did a cannonball into the water below, faintly hearing Cas yell something at him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean swam up to the surface and brushed his hair off of his forehead. He laughed and turned to Castiel, who looked horrified.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Why would you do that?!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean swam over to Castiel. “Because it’s fun! Come on, you’re doing it.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel gawked. “Absolutely not!” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean grabbed Castiel’s hand, tugging a bit. “I promise, it’s so much fun.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What if I can’t swim up?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You will. Just start swimming right after you hit the water. Pinch your nose. Worst case scenario: I pull you up.” Dean tugged on Castiel’s hand again. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel rolled his eyes and stepped off the dropoff again. It took him a second to get his bearings, but then he was following Dean to the rocks. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean climbed out of the water and helped pull Castiel up. “This is gonna be great.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel followed Dean up the rocks, climbing right behind him. “You’re going to give me heart palpitations.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean climbed to the top and stood up, waiting for Castiel to join him. “You’re going to love it.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my god, this is really high.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not that bad!” Dean walked over to the edge. “See? Come look.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel walked all the way to the edge and looked over it. “It still looks pretty high.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean thought about what he was about to do, considered it one more time, and then nodded. He stepped back and leapt forwards, wrapping his arms around Castiel and launching both of them over the edge. He let go once they were midair and tucked his legs to his chest. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Dean! I’m going to fucking-” Castiel got cut off as he hit the water. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean swam to the surface and immediately looked around for Castiel. After a few seconds, Castiel popped up, gasping and paddling. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I can not believe that you just did that to me.” Castiel pouted, but he didn’t look genuinely angry.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean bursted out laughing. “That was awesome! Do you have any idea how many times I’ve done that to Sam? Oh my god, that was great!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel swam over to Dean and put a hand on his head, pushing him under the water for just a second. “You’re an asshole.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You have to admit, it was fun, right?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel huffed. “Once I knew that I wasn’t going to die, I guess it was kind of fun.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean grinned. “Told you. Come on, let’s do it again.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“If you push me again, I’m driving the impala back home and leaving you here.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean laughed. “You wouldn’t.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Want to find out?” Castiel grinned and raised a brow. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean climbed out of the water and held a hand out for Castiel. “Fine. I promise I won’t push you or anything.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel got out of the water with Dean and followed him up the rocks. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean climbed to the top and walked up to the edge. He took a moment to look out over the lake and appreciate the view. It really was beautiful out here. He was just about to turn around and tell Castiel to go first, when two hands collided with his back and he was pushed off the edge of the rocks. He hit the water and came back up, gawking at Castiel, who was laughing hysterically. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t believe you just stood at the edge and didn’t expect me to do anything about it!” Castiel was nearly doubled over with laughter. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ha ha. Very funny. Now jump.” Dean paddled away from the area where Castiel would be coming down. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel looked over the edge and took a deep breath. He took several steps back and ran to the edge, jumping off. It became blatantly obvious that he didn’t plan past this point, because he flailed midair and came down to the water, on his belly. He hit the surface with a loud slap before sinking. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean winced at the noise and swam over to Castiel when he popped up. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Fuck! Okay, I’m done. Oh my god, it hurts so fucking bad!” Castiel paddled to the shore and ran up it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean followed him, laughing so hard that tears were pouring out of his eyes. He walked up the shore and had to stop, nearly falling over. As soon as he got a look at Castiel’s pink chest and stomach, he lost it again. He fell over into the shallow water, laughing so hard that his stomach hurt. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel fanned his stomach with his hands. “Hilarious, I know.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean howled with laughter, kicking at the air a few times. He finally composed himself and got up, wiping the tears from his face. “Nothing...Nothing is going to beat that moment.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel rolled his eyes. “Why don’t you go belly flop off that thing and see how you feel?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, I’ve done it before. It hurts like a bitch. Come on, we’ll go inside and put some ice on it.” Dean got out of the water and picked up his clothes, opting to just carry them back instead of getting them wet by putting them on. He put his shoes on without socks just to walk on the pavement. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel put his shoes on as well and carried his clothes. He moved gingerly as they entered the house again. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean looked into the kitchen and saw Sam grabbing a snack. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey. Did you guys go swimming-oh my god, what happened to Cas?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean chuckled. “He did a belly flop off the rock.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam winced. “I’ve been there. Why would you do that?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I can promise you that it wasn’t intentional. I didn’t really know what I was doing.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean opened the fridge and started filling a plastic bag with ice. “Hey, you did good figuring it all out. I was impressed that you picked up so fast.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam raised a brow. “Picked what up?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel looked at Sam. “I couldn’t swim before today.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam’s eyes widened. “Dean! You let him jump off the rock even though he couldn’t swim?!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, he had been swimming around for a while before I took him up there. The first time we went off, I pulled him with me, so I was right there in case he needed help.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“More like dragged me over the edge.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam punched Dean in the arm. “Do you terrorize him like this all the time?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean rubbed his arm and pouted. “Ouch. And no. We were just messing around.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam looked at Castiel, who nodded.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m fine, it was fun. I’m just messing with Dean a bit.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean handed Castiel the bag of ice. “We should go shower. The lake is nice but the water is nasty.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You can use my shower if you want, Cas. That way one of you doesn’t have to wait.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean shook his head. “It’s okay. We shower together.” He winked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam made a face. “Okay, I’m leaving.” He retreated to his room.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean led the way back to his bedroom and set his clothes on the bed. He opened the door to the bathroom and turned on the shower. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel ran the bag of ice over his chest and stomach, sighing at the relief it brought him. He took off his wet boxers and stepped into the shower with Dean once it was hot enough, leaving the bag of ice on the counter.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The shower was quick and perfunctory. They washed themselves, taking turns under the stream of hot water. Castiel was careful with the front of his body, which was very tender. Dean kissed Castiel’s chest and frowned a bit. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry you got hurt.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s okay, I should have known better. I should have tried to cannonball like you did.” Castiel smiled a bit. “Thanks for taking me there and being patient with me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I had a lot of fun. Thanks for coming and being a good sport when I was being an asshole.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel kissed Dean’s forehead and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel to gently dry himself. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Once they were both dry and in clean clothes, they sat on the bed to talk before dinner. Dean told Castiel stories about swimming in the lake with friends, and the time he skinny dipped there with a girl when he was 17. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean thanked whatever god there may be that Bobby had already decided to order pizza instead of trying to cook for them. They all gathered in the living room and ate their pizza, chatting about life. Bobby wasn’t very talkative, as per usual, but he was interested in hearing Castiel talk about his family a little bit. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Once dinner was over, Sam picked out a movie, The Empire Strikes Back, for them to watch. Everyone was quiet during the movie, enthralled by the plot and action scenes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The movie ended and everyone retreated back to their rooms to sleep. Dean took Sam’s present out of his bag and set it on the bedside table. Castiel got into bed with Dean and took the role of big spoon, holding his boyfriend close. He couldn’t hold him too tight because of his chest, but he did his best. The pair fell asleep just like that. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The next morning was Sam’s birthday. Dean had an alarm set for early in the morning. He got out of bed and pulled his clothes on before sneaking to the kitchen. He explained to Castiel that he always made pancakes for Sam’s birthday, and had since he was a little kid. Castiel helped Dean make the pancakes and set the table. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean waited, and sure enough, Sam came down the stairs at the predicted time. Dean lit the candle he had stuck in the pancakes and grinned. “Happy birthday Sammy.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam smiled a bit. “Thanks, Dean.” He didn’t bother to correct him on his name. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean picked up the large box that he had wrapped in blue wrapping paper. “Here you go.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam took the box, raising his eyebrows in surprise at how big it was. He set it on the table and ripped the paper back, his jaw dropping when he saw what was inside. “Dean, this is too much.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up, you’re going to need a good laptop in college. I learned that lesson the hard way. This one will last for years, and it’s really lightweight, so you can carry it around easily.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam smiled and hugged his brother. “Thank you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean patted Sam on the back. “Hurry up and blow out that candle before we burn the house down.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam chuckled and blew out the candle. He sat down at the table with Castiel and Dean. “I hate that my birthday always falls on finals week.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Castiel shrugged. “In college, your birthday will probably fall right after finals, which will be nice.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam nodded and started eating his pancakes. “Good point. I guess this is my last birthday where I have to take a test, then.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean started eating his own plate of food. “Shouldn’t be too bad, right? You just take the test and come home?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I should be back before lunch. How long are you guys staying?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean hummed. “We’ll probably head back to Kansas tomorrow morning. I’ve got work, and Cas has a couple online classes that he’s working on. I’ll be back in two weeks for your graduation, though.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Cool.” Sam finished his breakfast quickly and stood up, grabbing his backpack. “I’ll be back in a little bit. See you guys later.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean waved. “Good luck on your test.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sam left the house, leaving Castiel and Dean with Bobby, who emerged shortly after Sam left. He enjoyed a plate of pancakes before going out in the scrapyard to work for a little while. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean and Castiel entertained themselves around the house until Sam got back. Dean had Sam pick up food for lunch, and they ate together outside. Castiel always stayed more quiet that usual around Sam, which Dean realized was to give them space to talk and catch up as much as they wanted. That respect was very much appreciated.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Much to Sam’s dismay, Dean started telling embarrassing stories at dinner. He recounted the tale of when he set up a glitter bomb in the bathroom and poor Sam couldn’t get all of the glitter out of his hair, so he went to school covered in the stuff. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>That night, Sam wanted to talk to Castiel more. They ended up having a long conversation about Stanford and school stuff in general. Dean was really happy with how well they got along. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The next morning, Dean and Castiel packed up their things and bid Bobby and Sam goodbye with promises of coming back soon. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dean felt really good about everything as he drove home. Castiel was asleep in the passenger seat, Dean was finally out to his family, and now they had the whole summer to spend together. Life was good.</span>
</p>
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